With a little over two weeks to go until the start date for the carbon price, the Federal Government has released an updated list of the entities likely to pay the tax.

The Clean Energy Regulator says 294 entities have now been identified as liable to pay the carbon price when it comes into effect on July 1.

But it is well short of the figure of the 500 first nominated by the Federal Government.

Its list includes a total of 34 local councils which have landfill sites or produce natural gas.

Climate Change Minister Greg Combet says it is a figure which will continue to change.

"As some businesses may even be able to apply technology to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions so that they come off the list, they get underneath the threshold. Others might expand production and so end up above the threshold and come onto the list," he said.

There has been particular attention recently on the effect the carbon price will have on local councils.

But Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change, Mark Dreyfus, says councils will not have to pay liabilities for another 12 months.

"What we're expecting for those 32 councils who are covered under the carbon price mechanism is that there will be some rate rises in the range of around 13 cents per household per week up to around 40 cents per household per week," he said.

"That's amply covered by the $10.10 per household per week assistance that's coming from the Federal Government."

And he says the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) will be on watch for people misrepresenting the impact of the tax and pushing up prices unnecessarily.

But Opposition climate spokesman Greg Hunt says if councils pay more they will pass on the cost.

"Whether you are in Bendigo, Rockingham, Darwin, Gold Coast, Geelong, Lake Macquarie, Launceston, across the country there are residents who will be hit with either higher rates of fewer services and inevitably they will also pay more money to go to the tip," he said.